I seem to live in three worlds lately, the world of home, the world of school, and the world of writing. On the outside, each of these worlds seems to function so differently, but on further examination, I’m not so sure that’s true.

The world of school is the world that takes the most of my time. It’s a good world, and for that I’m grateful. Teaching is a profession unlike many others, in that so much is expected that you are never really “caught up” with anything. I’m not saying teaching is more difficult than other professions, or takes more dedication, that would be a lie. I’m just saying that teaching, if you let it, will suck the life out of you and leave you with very little to show for it.

Solitary teachers often struggle. In spite of the fact that they’re surrounded by students each day, they teach in isolation and lack professional, adult connections. I feel sorry for those teachers. Sometimes it’s a result of their position. Maybe a school only has one foreign language teacher or one PE teacher. Unless those teachers are able to form professional ties with others they are sort of left to their own devices.

Other times teachers are part of a group, or team, but the dynamics of that group are dysfunctional. I think this situation is worse. It’s difficult being the odd person out of a group. I’m fortunate, my team is fantastic. And the best thing about it? The collaboration. Continue reading →